Why visit Montreal in the Winter?
Fascinating historical landmarks and eye-catching architecture in nearly every direction you look, are just a few of the things that make Montreal such an incredible city. Whether it’s one of a kind art or a centuries-old basilica, it’s seemingly impossible to walk a single block without something grabbing your attention, which is made even better by the fact that Montreal is an extremely walkable city.
Quebec itself is without question a beautiful region and a world-class tourist destination. It’s been referred to as ‘the Europe you can drive to’ and is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Old Quebec, Quebec City) The Quebec region also has a rich history of indigenous people’s heritage predating any colonization by thousands of years and contains several of North America’s oldest cities. The first European visited the area in 1535, centuries of both failed and successful fur trading ventures followed and led to Montreal officially becoming a city in 1832. The city quickly grew to one of the largest in Canada, and fast forward to the present day; is home to dozens of state of the art attractions. It’s the perfect place for history buffs, French culture enthusiasts, and those just looking for the next Insta-worthy photo!
(Fun fact: Montreal is also currently the second largest French-speaking city in the world, second only to Paris itself.)
Even in bitterly cold winter weather, Montreal feels like a great place to be. Between the snow on the ground creating a winter wonderland and the European architecture, Montreal in the winter months offers textbook Holiday vibes.
All the charming architecture, attractions, and history of Montreal aside, the most convincing reason for a visit is, of course, the food. Montreal’s food scene is absolutely incredible. Montrealer’s know exactly what cold, long winters are like. Which is likely why they have perfected the art of comfort food. Some of the greatest cold weather comfort dishes of all time, actually. So, why visit Montreal in the winter? Well, the more miserable the weather, the better the already delicious food tastes, smells and even feels. (Oh, the feels!)
What makes Montreal’s food scene so great?
Bagels. Bagels, bagels, and you guessed it, even more bagels. Montreal’s bagels are slightly sweeter than their New York City counterparts, and in my ever so humble opinion, slightly better too. Montreal’s bagels typically have a crispy exterior and are warm, soft and chewy in the inside. The bagels get their sweetness from having the dough soaked in honey water and that crispy exterior from being cooked over a burning hot wood-fired oven. The end result is not only a delicious tasting bagel but also, depending on where you go, a unique culinary travel experience.
St-Viateur’s Bagel Shop is a place that offers such an experience, you can watch the bagel making process first hand, and learn plenty of awesome facts about what it takes to make the world’s best bagel. For instance, each batch of dough is made up of all natural ingredients, and weighs over 100 pounds!
St-Viateur’s is one of the two most famous bagel shops in Montreal, competing against Fairmount Bagels for the number one spot. (I didn’t personally get the chance to try Fairmount but they receive high praise.) My advice, go to both and compare. St-Viateur’s sells plain bagels right out of the fire for something like $0.49 cents (USD), so start eating bagels right when you get to Montreal, and don’t stop the entire time you’re there. You’ll get full long before they break your bank. Well, maybe not, but you only live once!
Also, hit up one of the many coffee shops and try bagels decked out with any meat, egg, and cheese for breakfast and a salmon bagel (known as ‘bagel and lox’) for lunch.
Say hello to the king of all comfort dishes. Poutine is that delicious french fry dish smothered in cheese curds and brown gravy, mixed with whatever ingredient you’re feeling. Seriously everything from bacon to guacamole to fried pickles and onion rings, or why not a mixture of all of them? (Ok, so there’s probably a million reasons why not but what the heck.) There’s really no part of it that’s healthy so good thing you’ll be walking a lot in Montreal! Poutine was first made in 1957, and the story of who made it varies depending on who you ask. Although, one thing IS for certain; poutine is a thing of pride in Montreal and is always smoking-hot with fresh ingredients. It is served virtually everywhere and at any time! There are numerous late night or 24-hour restaurants that serve poutine. La Banquise is one of the more popular ones and for good reason, they serve more than 30 different types of top quality poutine and have been open since 1968.
Smoked Meat is a way of life in Montreal and with good reason! Think corned beef and pastrami, but cured with a different, better mix of herbs and spices. Just like corned beef and pastrami, it’s always a match made in heaven with anything from mustard, sauerkraut, coleslaw, even cream cheese, believe it or not. (I tried it, it was amazing.) For a first-rate smoked meat experience, there’s really no better place to go than Schwartz’s Deli. Established in 1928, Schwartz’s has been serving their signature Smoked Meat and Mustard on rye sandwich, along with numerous other delicious Smoked Meat sandwiches to hungry Montrealer’s and tourists for nearly a century. As mentioned earlier, smoked meat also compliments other Montreal favorites like bagels and poutine as a topping. If you leave Montreal without eating your weight in smoked meat, you’re either a vegetarian or just uninformed.
Desert is always last, but never least. Indigenous people’s have been using the sap from Quebec’s woodlands trees to make maple syrup for ages. It was a way of life for them long before they taught European settlers how to do it in the 1500s. Fast forward to present day, it’s a way of life for everyone. The Quebec region is famous for producing the world’s best Maple Syrup. (Calm down, Vermonters. Those are basically the same woods, my friends.) I’m not talking about the processed sugar syrup us American’s dump on our pancakes every morning.
This is 0% additive, pure maple syrup, and 100% delicious, but still served best on pancakes and french toast. Anyone who has made the switch to real Maple Syrup knows what I’m talking about, there’s no comparison and no going back. Maple Syrup and pancakes are another thing of pride in Montreal, and you can find them at almost any of the coffee shop cafe’s, or hundreds of other restaurants around town.
You’ll get addicted, and eat a lot. But there’s no trouble in paradise, because such dishes are relatively inexpensive, typically under $5 USD.
There’s obviously a strong French influence in Montreal (duh), so it goes without saying that there’s plenty of mouth-watering desserts to be found.
Montreal is worth the trip, period.
Although I’ve only visited Montreal in the winter, I’d wager my bagel money that it’s a lovely place to visit during any season. It’s not just Maple Syrup, smoked meat, poutine, and wood-fired sweet bagels that the great people of Montreal take pride in. The truth is that Montrealers take great pride in their whole city; it’s outstanding food scene, it’s unique art and history, it’s beautiful architecture and their native French language. Great food and good times in Montreal aren’t reserved for those willing to pay extra for them, they’re treated like a right for everybody, all the time.
Coming soon: Budget Trip To Montreal: 7 Must-Have Experiences.
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Traveler’s to Montreal: Seth Carrick and Lauren Styron. Photos are all ours.